Safety attachment for stop watches



June 19, 1923.

H. E. VON KERSBURG SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR STOP WATCHES Filed Dec. 27 1921swim 3 Women,

Patented June 19, 1923.

FST'ATIES PATENT OFFICE,

HARRY E. 'voN K'ERSBURG, or NEW YORK,- N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO K. H. MACY &00., INC. on NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION or NEW YO K.

1] "S F TY ATTACHMENT FOR STOP WATCHES.

Application med December 27, 1921; Serial no. 525,081. g

To all whom it may concern" Be it known that I, HARRYE. VoNKansnonefa'citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in thecounty of New York and State of New York, have invented certain newand'useful Improvements in Safety Attachments for Stop Vatches, of whichthe following isa-specification.

The present invention relates to stop watches and consists in thecombinations and arrangements of elements hereinafter described andparticularly set forth in the accompanying claims.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a safety attachment for astop watch which will effectively prevent the accidental zeroizing orre-setting thereof, and which in applied position will in no way hinderthe normal working of the time piece, nor in any manner interfere withthe handling thereof by the time-keeper.

In the game of football a record must be kept of the actual time thatthe ball is in play, and this is done by a stop watch. When the ball isout of play the watch is stopped, and when play is resumed the watch isstarted, and the length of time the game has progressed is therebyindicated. Both the minute and second hands of the watch are restored tozero by pressing down .the stem-winder.

It is frequently necessary for a field judge, in order to closely watchthe different plays, to be in the center of a mix-up. He holds the stopwatch in the palm of his hand ready to stop and start it as plays areceased and resumed. In doing this he is often jostled and it frequentlyhappens that the stem-winder of the watch is struck with sufficientforce to set both the second and minute hands to zero, thereby losingall record of the duration of the game. This has happened so often thatit has been proposed by certain judges of football to appoint anadditional man, to stand outside the playing field with a stop watch andkeep time and check the watch of the field judge.

To avoid these difliculties the present 1nvention contemplates theemployment of a safety device to be attached to a stop watch which willprevent the accidental resetting of the second and minute hands, butadapted to be released for the purpose of re-setting these handsin theusual way.

of illustration in the ings, wherein:

The invention'as disclosed herein is proposed as an improvement over theconstruction of device adapted for the same purpose above described andforming the sub ject-matter of my U. S. Patent No. 1,373,467, datedApril6, 1921.

The presen'tinvention is disclosed by way accompanying draw- Figure l isa front View of a watch show ing the attachment applied thereto;

Iiigure 2, a side elevational view thereof; an

Figure 3 is a detail the attachment per se.

In the construction shown in Figures 1 to 3, the invention ischaracterized in that the safety device is formed as an integral part ofthe chain attaching ring, as distinct from a separate element attachedto the watch, as disclosed in my patent above referred to.

Referring to the construction in further detail, 4 indicates a stopwatch having the usual second and minute hands, and 5 represents theordinary starting and stopping device therefor. The winding andre-setting stem 6 has a knurled head 7, and 8 indicates the ordinarychain attaching ring.

The safety device per se consists of a cam element 9 integrally formedwith the chain attaching ring 8 that is adapted to coact with a shoulderportion 10 secured to the stem 6 as shown. It will be observed that bothelements 9 and 10 are enclosed or contained wholly within the stemcasing 11, thus protecting these parts, which is an obviously desirableadvantage.

In operation the device is moved to the position shown in Figure 2 whenit is desired to prevent the accidental re-setting of the second andminute hands of the watch, i. e., during the time that the football isin play; and for the purpose of resetting the watch the device is movedto the position indicated in Figure 1, which permits this to be done inthe usual way.

The illustration shows a particular embodiment of the invention, thoughit is understood, of course, that the invention may be carried out inother ways, and that therefore the present disclosure is to beconsidered in anillustrative sense only and not as a limiting one.

perspective View of Having thus described the invention, what is claimedas new is:

1. A stop. watch having a winding and a resetting stem, a stem casing,and a device mounted wholly within the stem casing adapted to engagewith the stem to prevent accidental re-setting thereof, substantially asset forth.

2. A stop watch having a winding and a resetting stem, a chain attachingring, and

cooperable members mounted on said ring and stem respectively adapted toprevent accidental re-setting thereof, substantially as set forth.

3. A stopwatch having a winding and a re-setting stem, a chain attachingring, a stem casing, and cooperable members mounted on said stem and thering respectively located wholly within the stem casing and adapted toprevent accidental re-sctting of the stem, substantially as set forth,

4. A stop watch having a winding and a re-setting stem, a chainattaching ring, and a cam element mounted on said ring adapted to engagewith the stem to prevent accidental re-setting thereof, substantially asset forth.

5. A stop watch having a Winding and a re-setting stem, a chainattaching ring, a shoulder formed on the stem, and a cam elementactuated by the ring to engage with said shoulder to prevent accidentalre-setting operation of the stem.

,6. The combination with a stop watch having a winding and a re-settingstem, and a chain attaching ring, of devices on said stem and the ringcooperable in one relation to prevent accidental re-setting of the stem,and in another relation to permit of re-setting thereof, substantiallyas set forth.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

HARRY E. VON KERSBURG.

